MARQUÉS DE CÁCERES ROSADO 2007

Lately my old tasting notes have been getting the once over as I rummage through them seeking out nice wines for warmer weather.  One style I've always been fond of in the summer is the Spanish rosado.  Usually rosado is a deeper shade of pink than the average rosé – sometimes almost full-blown red - and full of the great flavors of Tempranillo and Grenache.

This Spanish Rioja rosado is a light strawberry color.  It makes a beautiful statement in the glass.   At 13.5% abv, it's a dry rosé made from 80% Tempranillo and 20% Garnacha.

Aromas of raspberry dominate the bouquet for me, but there's a very nice floral layer underneath it.  I want to say hibiscus, but I don't know how accurate that is.  Whatever the nature of the flora I smell, it's a beautiful fragrance.

Don't worry about this wine being too sweet for you.  It's nice and dry.  The strawberry flavor is matched with raspberry notes and the taste lingers quite nicely afterward.  The label suggests the usual pairings (paella, chicken, seafood) and I would not argue with any of those.  However, let me tell you that it went with a dessert Denise made and the pairing was exquisite.  She created a mascarpone-based whip which we put on a cracked pepper and olive oil Triscuit.  That was delicious enough, but the wine really had a good time pairing with it.  We were duly 

CHATEAU STE. MICHELLE NELLIE'S GARDEN DRY ROSE 2007

Occasionally I find myself parking in an area where some of the businesses validate and some don't.  The restaurants don't, but a store that sells wine does.  You see it coming, don't you?  Enjoy a meal, hop over to the bargain wine shop on the way to the parking lot and pick up a bottle of something cheap.  Get validated with that purchase and it's like I paid for parking and got a free bottle of wine in the deal.

The Chateau Ste. Michelle Nellie's Garden Dry Rosé was a steal at four dollars.  It's not a bad little pink.

Actually, it's a deep, rich strawberry red.  The wine is made of 98% Syrah and 2% Grenache, and hits 13.7% abv.  Always welcome in a rosé is a big fruity nose, and this one delivers just that, full of fresh strawberries.  The palate shows strawberry as well, along with raspberry and a bit of some Syrah-like spiciness. 

It's delicious, and it should pair well with salads and seafood, but I might want just a shade more acidity for pairing with anything heavier.  As a sipper, I'll take this any day, parked on the porch.  For four bucks, I didn't expect much.  I feel like a got quite a deal, though.

PINK FIDDLE PINOT NOIR ROSÉ 2007

Somehow, this wine stayed in the rack for about two years.  I think we may have been saving it for an occasion when one of several of our friends was here to help us drink it.  Whatever the reason, it has been in the rack since we bought several bottles of it.  This is the last remaining, so now it's time to think about a trip toFiddlehead Cellars to get more.

Pinot Noir is the grape here.  It's not a saignée, or early juice bleed from a red wine.  This pink is no by-product.  It's made this way, dry and delicious.  The grapes are from the Fiddlestix Vineyard.

Pink Fiddle is a great summertime wine.  It reminds me a lot of a rosada with its deep hue, almost too deep to call pink.  The nose has strawberry, raspberry and ripe melons jumping right out of the glass.  The taste features a cranberry edge to the strawberry and a very nice acidity.  I tried it with some roasted turnips my wife prepared, and it was a great match.  It paired well with a handful of peanuts, too.

ROSÉ FOR SUMMER

Don't rely on supermarkets for your summer rosés. 

My grocery (Ralph's) actually has a fairly decent wine section, but only a handful of pink offerings.  On the shelf there I found La Vieille Ferme, Red Bicyclette, Mouton Cadet, a Spanish rosado which has slipped from my memory and the lone California entry, Ironstone Xpression.

There is also the usual assortment of White Zinfandel.

It doesn't take too much effort to locate some really wonderful rosés that will make your warm-weather entertaining an instant hit.

I like to buy local for most of my wine, and it's not a bad drive from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara County.

Clos Pepe in Lompoc, with vineyards in the Santa Rita Hills, has a rosé of Pinot Noir that is fantastic.

Fiddlehead Cellars in Lompoc produces a rosé of Pinot Noir they call "Pink Fiddle" that is full-bodied and quite refreshing.

Fontes and Phillips' "Panky" is made from Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah from Camp 4 Vineyard in Santa Ynez.  It's bone dry and complex.

Shoestring Winery in Solvang does a rosé that's mainly Syrah with some Grenache and "a splash of Sangiovese for color."

If those are too hard to find, stop in for a visit with your neighborhood wine dealer and get some professional help.  We could all use some of that every now and then.  With summer just around the corner, any wine store should already have a great supply of pinks in stock.

Here are some rosés which should be widely available at wine stores in many areas:

Domaine Begude Pinot Noir Vin de Pays d'Oc Rosé 2009 - A salmon-colored effort from Languedoc with a crisp minerality.
Domaine de la Fouquette "Rosée d'Aurore" Côtes de Provence Rosé 2009 - Made of Grenache, Cinsault and Rolle (you may know it in Italian as Vermentino).
La Gatte Rosé, Bordeaux 2008 - Yes, Bordeaux!  It's Merlot.
Cep "Nobles Ranch" Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir Rosé 2008 - Cep is a second label of the noted Peay Vineyards.
Crios de Susana Balbo Rosé of Malbec Mendoza 2009 - Argentine.  Any wine with Balbo's name on it is worth a try.
Beckmen Purisima Mountain Vineyard Grenache Rosé 2009 - Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre are the grapes in this one.
Francis Ford Coppola Sofia Rosé 2009 - It's a rich, pink color and dry. 
Chateau Ste Michelle Dry Rosé 2007 - A crisp and fruity Washington State pink.
Ironstone Xpression 2008 - It won a Gold Medal at the California State Fair last year.

Please feel free to leave a comment if I failed to mention your favorite rosé.

Oreana Malbec Rose 2007

I've been trying to prepare myself for warmer weather in Los Angeles, even as it has already begun.  I have been flipping through some of my tasting notes on rosé wines I have had in the past which impressed me.

I ran across my thoughts on the Oreana Winery Malbec Rosé I tasted a few years ago at their garage-cum-winery.  I like an institution to pay tribute to its heritage.  From their website:  "The name Oreana comes from the grand ranching days of California's Central Coast.  Oreana is a term used by cattle ranchers for an unbranded calf that strays onto your property and is therefore yours to keep.  Think of it as a found treasure or the renegade spirit of this beautiful region and the wines we produce here."  What a nice tip of the hat!

Here are my thoughts on a wine I do not believe is available anymore, but one I liked quite a bit on my visit.

"13%...Central Coast, Santa Barbara. Pig on label?

"'Take care while pouring not to disturb the flavor buddies' - that advice jumps out from the label with a picture of a pig on it.  Flavor buddies are the tartaric sediment in the bottle which they say is an antioxidant, so bring 'em on.

"A pig?  Maybe that's there because Malbec was once considered the bastard cousin of the more noble Bordeaux varietals.  Maybe they just like a touch of barnyard on their wine.

"The wine is a beautiful color - not pale at all, but see-through cherry red.  The nose reminds me of a childhood memory, perhaps mayhaw berries we would collect roadside for a wonderful jelly.  The flavor is quite full and fruity - you might call it juicy.  There was a bit too much heat on the tongue - I found that to be odd - and it tingled a bit too much for my taste.  It would probably be food friendly, I'd say with a chopped New York salad or antipasti.  Maybe I'd try it with with salmon, chicken or pork.

"Quoting again: 'Limited batch made each year in the traditional French method of "bleeding-off" the early juice and fermenting in stainless steel tanks. The result is a lucious, dry fruit-packed explosion.'"